50% of Downtown Is Empty… Here's The Plan | SaraBeth Drybread, Town of Edinburgh

On today's show I sat down with SaraBeth Drybread, economic development director for Edinburgh, Indiana, to discuss the town's deep history, its legacy as the veneer capital of the world, and the decline of its 1870s downtown after 2008 due to neglected historic buildings and absentee landlords. Drybread explains how Edinburgh Main Street was founded in 2025 by residents, business owners, regional partners, town officials, and downtown stakeholders, and is applying for the Office of Community and Rural Affairs Downtown Affiliate Network, working toward state accreditation for Main Street. They're using lessons from mentor communities like Wabash and Rushville, where historic theaters helped catalyze revitalization. Drybread outlines priorities for Edinburgh including increasing storefront occupancy, attracting a strong mix of retail and services, leveraging partnerships across three counties, and building a downtown plaza with an amphitheater supported by grants and local tourism funding while promoting assets beyond the outlet mall, including the Pixy Theatre and Indiana's largest tenderloin at Edinburgh Diner. If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast. You are going to learn about: - The History of Edinburgh, Indiana and Its Legacy as the Veneer Capital of the World - Why Edinburgh's Downtown Declined and How Edinburgh Main Street Is Working to Bring It Back - Using Downtown Blueprints from Successful Communities - Edinburgh's Greatest Assets Thank you to our partners: Kelley School of Business Berne Apparel Check out these great clips from the show: 01:35 Guest Introduction: SaraBeth Drybread, Town of Edinburgh 02:50 Edinburgh, Indiana Origins 04:46 Hardwood Horse History 06:34 Downtown Decline 11:45 Main Street Program 13:55 Accreditation Levels 19:34 Transformation Vision 22:01 Perfect Main Street Mix 23:46 Peer Mentors Theaters 33:28 Building Momentum 36:12 Trails Sell Cities 36:43 Three County Puzzle 38:02 Outlet Mall Origins 40:28 Downtown Plaza Plan 44:52 Granary And Buy-In 46:46 Parking Perception Shift 50:07 Edinburgh In 2036 51:59 Funding And Partnerships 54:13 Tenderloin Town Identity 56:09 Indiana Roots And Favorites 01:00:41 Hidden Gem Johnson Park 01:02:41 Hoosier To Watch 01:03:51 Love Your Town Outro Get IN. is brought to you by our friends at Sweetwater. Whether you are looking to start a podcast or level up your current show you need to hit them up.